Mandatory evacuations ordered in wildfire at Mt. Charleston

The Nevada Highway Patrol has shut down State Route 156, also known as Lee Canyon Road, and State Route 157, known as Kyle Canyon Road, because of a fire.

The roads are closed at U.S. 95. The NHP said that the fire is in the area of Lee Canyon Road. Police have evacuated some residents in the area and visitors were sent down the mountain as a precaution.

The fire is the Carpenter 1 fire, the same wildfire that has been scorching the Pahrump side of the mountain since Monday.

Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort was evacuated and closed. There is no word yet on when it will re-open.

The fire, along with smoke from fireworks and other regional fires, prompted Clark County air quality officials to post an alert for unhealthful air quality conditions on Thursday evening.

The people who run Bonnie Springs Ranch are offering to help those who have been evacuated. You may leave your horse or other large animals with them free of charge. For information, call 702-875-4400.

As of Thursday evening, the fire has spread to approximately 2,000 acres and is zero percent contained. The American Red Cross has set up shelters on both sides of the mountain, one at James Bilbray Elementary on the east side and the other at Hafen Elementary on the Pahrump side.